We have today announced changes to our Board – as part of our commitment to evolve to a majority independent Board in time for the 2023-24 season.
The decision to reduce the number of FA Board members from 12 to 10 was made by FA shareholders at a General Meeting held in November 2022, and it will come into effect from 3 July 2023.
The change in the composition of the FA Board will ensure, for the first time since the Board was established in 1999, that its members include a majority of independent directors. The new structure will align with the recommendations made in the government’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, which recommended that football authorities should continue to reform their own corporate governance to create independence in decision-making, including Boards of at least 50 per cent independent directors.
As part of the restructure, both the Professional Game and the National Game will reduce the number of their representatives on the FA Board from three members to two.
Professional Game Directors:
Having joined the FA Board in 2015, Peter McCormick will step down as a result of having served nearly the maximum term of nine years. Peter will remain an FA Council member and will continue to chair the Professional Game Board, as well as chair The FA Challenge Cup Committee next season. He will also remain a member of the Football Regulatory Authority, the rule-making body of the FA.
As part of the planned succession, Premier League clubs approved at their Annual General Meeting in June that Dharmash Mistry, the League’s Independent Non-Executive Director, will replace Peter McCormick on the FA Board as their representative.
Rupinder Bains, who was appointed to the FA Board in 2017 by the Premier League and the EFL, will step down as their joint representative at the end of the 2022-23 season. This role on the Board will not be replaced.
Professional Game Directors on the FA Board from 3 July 2023 will be: Dharmash Mistry [Premier League] and Rick Parry [EFL].
National Game Directors:
Jack Pearce, who was first appointed onto the FA Board in 2015, has volunteered to step down from his role as a National Game Director. This role on the FA Board will not be replaced. However, Jack will take an observer role on the FA Board for the 2023-24 season, as well as continuing his roles as FA Vice-Chair and an FA Council member. At the end of the 2023-24 season, Jack will retire from all of his FA roles.
National Game Directors on the FA Board from 3 July 2023 will be: Sue Hough [Women’s Football Conference] and Thura KT Win [Sussex FA].
FA Chair, Debbie Hewitt MBE, said: "This new structure will ensure that the FA Board has a greater level of independence and accountability, and it will bring us in line with the recommendations in the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance. We believe this change will be beneficial for all areas of the game.
"We would like to thank Peter, Rupinder and Jack for their significant contributions during their time on the FA Board. They have been with us during a very important and transformative time for the organisation – and have all played a meaningful role in shaping our game for the better.
"We're pleased to welcome Dharmash Mistry, who joins the FA Board as the Premier League representative. Dharmash brings a wealth of experience and expertise from across a wide range of business sectors with a tech and digital focus. He has been a Premier League Independent Non-Executive Director since September 2021 and we look forward very much to having his contribution."
From 3 July 2023, the FA Board will comprise:
• Debbie Hewitt MBE – Independent Non-Executive Chair
• Mark Bullingham – Chief Executive Officer
Independent Non-Executive Directors
• Kate Tinsley – Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
• Mark Esiri
• Jobi McAnuff
• Tim Score
National Game Directors
• Sue Hough MBE
• Thura KT Win
Professional Game Directors
• Dharmash Mistry
• Rick Parry – Vice Chair
Board Observer
• Jack Pearce – Vice Chair
